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Young Catholics pray together in Arabic and Hebrew in the Holy Land
More than 300 people attended the St. James Vicariate’s youth festival. The gathering brought young people from several parishes to Deir Rafat for prayer and fellowship in a land marked by war.
HOLY LAND
Ana Paula Morales (Poli)
11/4/20262 min read
Photo caption — Deir Rafat Monastery in the Holy Land, where Mass was celebrated during the St. James Vicariate’s youth festival on Oct. 31, 2026. File photo by Mujaddara, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
DEIR RAFAT, Israel — Arabic- and Hebrew-speaking young Catholics prayed together during the St. James Vicariate’s youth festival on Oct. 31, 2026. The gathering drew more than 300 people, according to Vatican News, with young people taking part from parishes across the Holy Land. The program included workshops, a meal together and a Mass announced by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Deir Rafat is home to the Shrine of Our Lady Queen of Palestine and a community of the Sisters of Bethlehem. For participants, praying in both languages carried special meaning. Father Piotr Żelazko, patriarchal vicar for Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Israel, told Vatican News that young people from the two communities rarely have the chance to meet and pray together, each in their own language.
Coming together amid conflict
The war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which began in October 2023, continues to shape life in the Holy Land. A ceasefire took effect in October 2025, but the United Nations was still reporting violence and civilian casualties in Gaza just days before the festival. Żelazko also pointed to the war with Iran, which had made it uncertain whether the festival could resume. That was the backdrop for a day when Arabic- and Hebrew-speaking young Catholics chose to come together in prayer.
The conflict had interrupted the festival. Żelazko recalled that in 2025, organizers decided to plan another gathering despite the war with Iran. They pressed ahead amid the uncertainty. By the time the ceasefire came, the plans were in place.
The priest, who has lived in the Holy Land for nearly 20 years, also spoke about the toll of war on young people. He told Vatican News that many experience fear and loneliness and that, under those conditions, even nurturing a desire for reconciliation can be difficult. At Deir Rafat, the workshops and shared meal gave participants time to get to know one another and talk. They also had a chance to pray together, something they ordinarily do in separate language communities.
Żelazko hopes the festival can take place every year and eventually welcome young people from other countries. He also hopes those who met at Deir Rafat will find opportunities to get together and pray more than once a year.
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